Iraqi army announces liberation of 25 villages from Islamic State remnants

Baghdad (Iraqinews.com) The Iraqi Army announced on Sunday the liberation of 25 villages on the border between Diyala and Salahuddin from Islamic State.

In a statement, quoted by Alforatnews, the War Media Cell said, “Forces from Tigris, Samarra and Salahuddin operations commands, backed by Iraqi Air Force and al-Hashd al-Shaabi fighters, have launched a wide-scale security campaign to pursuit terrorists and criminals at Mteibijah area near the border between the provinces of Salahuddin and Diyala.”

“So far, 25 villages have been purified, 15 bombs detonated and three tunnels of Islamic State destroyed,” the statement read, adding that Iraqi warplanes destroyed two booby-trapped motorbikes and an Islamic State hideout that was used for making bombs.

On Saturday, Iraqi security forces, backed by al-Hashd al-Shaabi fighters, launched an operation to control the country’s borders and eliminate IS remnants at Mteibijah area in Iraq.

Last week, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared final victory over Islamic State three years after the militant group captured about a third of Iraq’s territory.

In a speech during the international media conference held at the journalists syndicate in Baghdad on Saturday, December 9, Abadi said, “Our troops gained full control on the Iraqi-Syrian borders. We announce the end of war against Islamic State.”

“Our battle against the enemy, who wanted to destroy our civilization, is over. Thus, we gained victory through our unity and determination that made us defeat IS in short time,” he said.

Abadi’s announcement came two days after Russia announced a similar victory over Islamic State militants in neighboring Syria. Abadi declared Dec. 10 an annual national holiday on this occasion.